This invention relates to crate constructions for bottles and more specifically, to a crate for standard xe2x80x9cpetaloid-typexe2x80x9d two-liter bottles.
Low depth bottle crates are well known in the art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,836; 4,928,841; 5,060,819; and 5,855,277. These crates typically have side and end walls that extend only about one-third the height of standard two-liter bottles. This means that, when loaded and stacked, crates rest directly on the bottles in an underlying crate. The low depth of the crate is attractive, however, since it reduces material costs, enhances visibility of the bottles, and reduces shipping space when stacked empty. Some prior crates employ crate height increasing features to provide greater support for bottles received therein, while still permitting the bottle labels to be seen. Such features may include columns that extend above the side and end walls of the crate as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,899,874; 4,978,002; and 5,501,352.
Low depth crates also typically have concave bottle supporting surfaces that generally conform to the shape of the bottle. The concave surfaces provide good bottle support but may result in undesirable scuffing of the bottle surface, however, particularly if dirt, sand or other debris becomes trapped between the bottle surface and the concave crate surfaces.
The crate of this invention includes a peripheral wall of uniform height with cut-outs spaced along the side walls of the crate. The end walls of the crate are substantially cut out from the bottom of the crate upwardly to a pair of respective handles that are flush with the top of the peripheral wall and permit the crate to be grasped at opposite ends.
The interior of the crate is divided by a longitudinal center partition and three transverse partitions that together define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets, arranged in two longitudinal rows, each with four pockets. Interior bottle support columns are located along the longitudinal partition where it intersects with the transverse partitions, and in the exemplary embodiment, there are three such interior columns, one of which is located at the longitudinal and transverse center of the crate. The cut-outs in the side wall create generally, similar partial, or xe2x80x9chalf columnsxe2x80x9d in the upper portions of the peripheral wall where the transverse partitions intersect the side walls. The side wall cut-outs also partially define xe2x80x9cquarter columnsxe2x80x9d in the corners of the crate that are also integral with the end walls. Each of the various column structures is formed to include a convex surface facing radially into each adjacent pocket. Specifically, the interior columns are each made up of four hollow posts, each post presenting a convex surface to each of four surrounding pockets; the side wall half columns are each made up of two hollow posts, each post presenting a convex surface to each of two adjacent pockets; and the corner quarter columns are each formed as essentially a single post that merges with the end wall and includes a single convex surface facing into the respective corner pockets.
The end walls of the crate are substantially cut-out in the lower portions thereof to create handle openings and respective handle bars at the opposite ends of the crate.
The crate bottom is formed with bottle support platforms for the respective bottle receiving pockets. Each bottle support in each pocket includes a relatively wide outer ring and a narrow inner or center ring that is raised relative to the outer ring. The raised center ring is adapted to project upwardly into a recess formed in the bottom of a conventional petaloid-type 2-liter bottle. Between the outer and inner rings is a recessed substantially solid annular web, with radial spokes or ribs tapering upwardly from the outer ring to the raised inner ring. The outer ring is connected to the longitudinal and adjacent transverse partitions by relatively narrow longitudinal and transverse connector webs that extend perpendicularly to the nearest partition. Along the side walls, the transverse webs terminate short of the side walls, but ribs on the webs merge with vertical ribs on the interior surfaces of the side walls. The platform outer ring, annular web, and various of the longitudinal and transverse connector webs may have drainage holes to prevent accumulation of liquid in the crate and to reduce the amount of material required for the crate.
The underside of the crate bottom is formed with recessed areas located generally centrally of the bottle support platforms, but with different outer boundaries as defined by the length and height of radially oriented ribs extending inwardly from an annular wall that defines the outer ring of the platform. For example, certain selected ribs have maximum height (i.e., they are flush with the support surfaces of the crate bottom) and extend radially inwardly from the platform annular wall to a location just inside the platform annular web. Other selected ribs terminate at the platform annular web, while others are stepped to a reduced height at a location between the platform annular wall and platform annular web. The reduced height portion of the ribs remains flush with the platform annular web. This arrangement provides extended flat recessed areas in selected directions within which respective bottle caps are free to travel.
The recessed areas are arranged in a symmetrical array about the center of the crate, i.e., the intersection of the longitudinal partition and the transverse center partition. In all cases, the recesses have flat base areas, as defined by the underside of the platform annular webs, that are larger than diameters of bottle caps that will be received therein. Those recessed areas on opposite sides of the transverse center partition are extended in the direction of the nearest end wall but not beyond the annular vertical wall of the platform. Those recessed areas that are adjacent the respective end walls are substantially completely open in the direction of the nearest end wall by reason of a reduction in the height of the platform annular wall. While a slight bump in this area remains, the reduced height facilitates dragging one filled crate off another.
Thus, the four recessed areas on one side of the transverse center partition are a mirror image of the four recesses on the other side of the transverse center partition.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, the peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls; a longitudinal interior partition extending between the end walls and a plurality of transverse interior partitions extending between the side walls to thereby create a plurality of bottle receiving pockets within the peripheral wall; a crate bottom connected to the peripheral wall, an upper surface of the crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting platform for the bottle receiving pocket; a plurality of interior columns located at intersections of the transverse partitions and the longitudinal partition, each interior columns comprised of four discrete hollow pasts, each having a convex surface facing radially into one of four of the bottle receiving pockets that surround each of the interior columns.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a low depth crate for two-liter bottles comprising a peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls; a crate bottom integrally connected to the peripheral wall; the peripheral wall having a height equal to about xc2xd the height of a two-liter bottle; an interior longitudinal partition and a plurality of transverse partitions defining eight bottle receiving pockets in two rows of four; three interior columns along the longitudinal partition, each interior column having four discrete posts, each having a convex surface facing into four respective surrounding bottle receiving pockets.